Dogs will be welcome on Sundays this summer at Cleveland Botanical Garden. Yes, the Garden is going to the dogs during “Dog Days of Summer,” and it’s going to be great!

People who love beautiful gardens often wish they could share their favorite places with their canine best buddies, therefore these ten acres of lush gardens will be open to dogs, accompanied by their owners. The event will take place every Sunday from June 7 through September 27, 2009; noon to 5 p.m.

By popular demand, the Akron Zoo’s live animal show, “It’s a Wild World Animal Show,” will be back for the summer season this year starting June 2, 2009. The show will take place Tuesdays through Saturdays at 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. The cost of the show is $1.00 and tickets can be purchased at the zoo the day of the show.

The show is held in the zoo’s indoor theatre in the Lehner Family Zoo Gardens. It features about 12 of the zoo’s animal ambassadors, including a new animal this year, a scarlet macaw. The show takes visitors on a trip around the world and showcases 12 animals.

“Willard” is a new hire at the zoo and his boss “Myra” is evaluating his performance as he does animal training. “Willard” must pass his evaluation to continue his work. With the help of the audience, Willard walks a fine line of whether he can still work at the zoo or not. The show lasts about twenty minutes and features animals such as a kinkajou, tarantula, birds of prey, ground hog, snakes and many more.

For an extra wild experience the zoo is offering an opportunity for people 12 years of age and older to become part of the show. Trainer–for-a-Day allows guests to meet some of the animals that appear in the show up-close, take a behind-the-scenes tour and help the education staff get ready for the show and appear in the show.

Dogs are supposedly not fussy eaters, and the dogs we’ve had usually were willing eaters. Sometimes, however, they turned up their noses at what I set before them (not unlike my children!) and sat around pouting because they were hungry but didn’t like what they saw in their bowls. You know that they are not sick if they are not feverish and listless, but they are possibly rebelling against a certain brand of food, a type (canned versus dry), or a certain blend (lamb versus venison).

If you make a switch in dog food, make the change gradually. Introduce the new food with about a quarter of his portion, so that one fourth will be new food and the remaining three quarters the old food. Do this for several days, allowing the dog’s body to accommodate the new food. By the end of a week or two, he will be sufficiently integrated to the new diet.

Wild4Ever is hosting a wildly fun time for pet owners and their pets at the 2nd Annual “Walk on the Wild Side Pet Walk.” This fun walk to benefit wildlife conservation will be held Saturday, June 13, at Silver Creek Metro Park in Norton.

Registration begins at 9:30 a.m., with the pet walk starting at 10 a.m. Registration will be at the Pheasant Run Pavilion and participants will walk the Chippewa Trail. No pet? No problem! Anyone can participate in the walk and help a great cause.

Following the walk pet owners can participate in fun contests including cutest dog, smallest dog, biggest dog, best dressed, owner/pet look-alike and strangest pet. Ribbons will be awarded to contest winners. Last year, some of the pets included a sheep and llama, while other pets came dressed in costumes. All pets must be on leashes at all times during the event.

BOSTON (AP) — A Boston man accused of throwing hot coffee at a neighbor's dog has been arraigned on an animal cruelty charge.

Police said they were called to the city's Allston neighborhood Monday morning after the German shepherd's owner said his neighbor tossed a cup of coffee in the dog's face. Police said they could smell coffee on the dog's fur.

A floppy-eared, innocent-looking breed may be one of the world's most aggressive dogs, according to a new study that found English cocker spaniels tend to be more hostile than other breeds.

The findings, published in the latest Journal of Veterinary Behavior, confirm an earlier study conducted by a separate Spanish team from the University of Cordoba, which also found males and golden English cocker spaniels were more aggressive than females or those with black and mixed-color coats.

LODI, Calif. -- A Lodi woman posted a sign with the words, "Hit a cat, I'll hit your kid." Some neighbors said they are concerned their children's lives are being threatened.

"Basically what this is saying is: Hit a cat and I'll hit your kid," said Tina Teixeira.Teixeira got a lot of attention after she put the sign up in front of her West Elm Street home in Sacramento, Calif.

You're watching television, your cat on your lap and your dog by your side. Suddenly, the dog's leg starts thumping furiously. He is scratching, and he is miserable because he can't reach the places that itch the most. Your cat digs her claws into her skin, the itch a torture. Just watching, you start to itch, too.

There are as many reasons your animals itch as there are itchy animals. Some of the most common offenders are:

The FDA announced a recall of more than 20 kinds of dry NUTRO cat food that has been sold in at least 11 countries, including all 50 states in the U.S. Coverage here and here, along with a list of the recalled products here.

Bark in the Park at Clay’s Park Resort will feature the high-flying action of Dock Dogs who will qualify for the World Championship during the three day event, May 29-31, 2009. You may have seen the World Champion DockDogs on the David Letterman Show – now’s the chance to see these amazing canines in person.

Some folks have quite the busy life, but still want the comfort of coming home to a pooch. But puppies are a bit high-maintenance their first few years: with chewing up stuff, potty accidents, and the never-ending training that can be a bit exhausting.

As the weather gets warmer, apartment tenants are venturing outside to enjoy the weather. If you look around your apartment complex you may see kids on bikes, joggers on sidewalks and people basking in the sunshine on patios and porches. You may also see many people taking the time to stretch their legs, as well as those of their four-legged furry friends – otherwise known as dogs.

Owning a dog and renting an apartment at the same time can sometimes be challenging. Besides having to find a pet-friendly pad, you will find that many apartments have limited room indoors and don't provide an area outdoors where dogs can run and play. When you combine that with the additional costs, deposits and rules that coincide with having a pet in an apartment, pet ownership while renting can be a lot of work in a limited space. That's why warm weather brings the renters with pets outdoors, where there is room to exercise, stretch and play.

Boy oh boy have the past nine days been a roller coaster when it comes to canine lymphoma, helping your loved doggie through it and over all dealing with it. Everytime I had the intention of sitting down to write her latest venture in her journey, things would change that minute so here we are with another story to tell.

Michael Vick has been released from prison after serving nineteen months and has returned to his home and family, where he will spend two more months under house arrest. Oh, yeah, and he has to work a ten dollar an hour job. Somehow, this is supposed to make him see the light?

There is a great deal of controversy over whether he should be allowed back into the NFL, where, no one can deny, he played superbly. I have heard some pretty impassioned arguments both for and against his return to the NFL, but I have refrained from voicing my opinion. SO far! While I agree that he served his time, I can not agree that the debt to society has been paid by incarceration in prison, People who commit extraordinarily violent, cruel crimes don’t repay society by passing time in a jail cell. His time in prison does not restore the lives of dogs who were brutally torn apart, ripped to pieces, and made to behave in a way that is absolutely antithetical to their natures. The ones who lost were—well, murdered.

Northern winters are particularly harsh on feral cats and kittens who have not experienced this often bitterly cold season. The feral and homeless cats that do not find suitable shelter face many dangers -- chief among them frostbitten ears and feet.

I love dogs—all dogs. I prefer large breeds to small, but I have known some really lovely little ones and had a few. My personal favorite is the Golden Retriever, and I judge people by their reaction to a little butterball, Golden puppy. If they aren't smitten, I probably am not going to be great friends with them. On the other hand, I lover a Border Collie with its exuberance and keen intelligence.

Dogs are smart. There are breeds that seem to be more intelligent than others, and some ‘smart' breeds will occasionally turn out what seems to be a dumb dog. Usually, though, if you study the dog carefully, its refusal to learn tricks or obey commands is due more to the owner's inability to properly train him. And, sometimes, dogs appear to be dumb, because they are lazy and simply don't want to dance or catch balls! A friend had a Golden Retriever and was exasperated because he would not bring in the newspaper. “That is his only job,” she complained. I had a Golden that retrieved shoes. If you left a pair of muddy ones by the door, he'd bring them to you.

Maybe you have a new puppy who chews or gnaws on everything in site? Typical right? Yes, but it's also not necessary. Or maybe you have a grown dog that still chews everything. This can get rather expensive.

Puppies chew initially because of teething but very rapidly they chew because they've LEARNED to chew your stuff. Adult dogs will chew because they're bored and also because they too have LEARNED to chew your stuff.

Nepeta Cataria, commonly known as catnip or cat mint, is a member of the mint family, and the flagship of your cat’s garden. While it is an easy herb to grow, your cat will often dig it up and move it to where you can’t find it so s/he can enjoy it at his/her leisure!

I have often brought home flats of catnip, and when I opened the car door, one or more of my cats jumped in and made off with one of the small pots.

In December 2008, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first drug in more than 10 years to treat Cushing's disease in dogs.

Hyperadrenocorticism, commonly known as Cushing's disease, is a condition that results when the body produces too much of a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol is produced and stored by the adrenals, two small glands that sit on top of the kidneys.

Whether or not your pets get along depend on their personalities. Your current pet may view a new pet as a threat; there may be a few scuffles as each animal establishes his "place in the pack". Do not interrupt them if there is no danger of injury, and provided they are supervised at all times.

Some pets will merely tolerate each other. Others will become great companions (like my own two dogs and cat). Here are a few tips for introducing a new pet into your home.

There are any number of substances that are hazardous for your dogs and cats. Some are rather obvious, like pesticides, household cleaners and other chemicals, and lawn care treatments. These will cause damage to the nervous system, liver, and kidneys. Some of these materials may even cause cancer. In short, you should keep them away from your pets—and yourselves, as well, however possible.

Ok, squirrels aren't (usually) pets, but this video of a full-grown squirrel trying to teach a baby squirrel how to climb a wall is too cute to pass up. Stick with the video to see humans save the day.

Cleveland based pet photographer Mary Basu is not your ordinary studio and flat lighting, say cheese photographer. With an art degree and experience as an animal trainer and dog training instructor, her studio produces works of art where a pet's personality shines through in each image.

"Training animals has taught me to be very patient and to have excellent observational skills," said Mary, who has a BFA from Kent State University. "Having met hundreds of dogs over the years has also helped me respect each dog's unique personality."

Are you feeling overwhelmed trying to take care of your diabetic dog? Canine diabetes is a manageable disease, but it's up to the pet owner to carry out the treatment plan. If you're struggling, read on to learn the three things you must know to manage diabetes in dogs. Continue article ->

Schaumburg, IL — It's estimated that 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs every year. Fortunately, most dog bites are preventable through appropriate pet selection, proper training, responsible approaches to animal control, and education of dog owners and potential victims.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has joined with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), The American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery (ASRM), and The American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons (ASMS) to celebrate National Dog Bite Prevention Week, May 17-23, 2009. Children are the most common victims of dog bites, followed by the elderly and USPS employees.

They won’t be allowed to sit on the whimsical doghouses, but dogs are invited to visit Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens on Sundays during the run of Barkitecture.

WoofWalk Sundays are designed for guests to bring their dogs (on a leash) to stroll the gardens and grounds from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. There’s even a special Stan Hywet membership created just for their canine friends. Dogs may join Joe’s Club, a new membership category, for a fee of $15, - this add on to a regular “people” membership includes admission to any and all Woof Walks. Single day admission is $5 each for dogs.

In conjunction with Barkitecture, a special exhibition of whimsical doghouses at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, Summit County Executive Russ Pry has declared amnesty to all dogs and their owners to encourage the purchase of 2009 Summit County Dog Licenses.

Studies show that the chemicals in lawn pesticides and weed-killers can increase a dog's chance of developing canine lymphoma two-fold. In some breeds, these toxins also increase bladder cancer by four to seven times.

Simply keeping your pets off treated grass may not be enough. Toxins can drift inside your home through windows or be tracked in on your shoes, exposing your whole family. But there are organic options in treating your lawn.

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio (AP) -- Chachi the Chihuahua is back home in Florida, thanks to a couple who found the pooch in southwest Ohio 10 months after it went missing. Owner Robert Bartman, of Gainesville, Fla., said he doesn't know how the dog ended up 700 miles from home.

Bartman filed a missing dog report in July and heard nothing until late April, when a couple in Middletown, Ohio, saw the dog with no collar walking down their street. A pet care center found the dog had an embedded microchip with Bartman's contact information, and Chachi was put on a plane to Florida.

I never really put much thought into the stories I had heard about cats being psychic or "sensing" when something was about to occur.

There was the story about Oscar, the Providence, RI nursing home cat who reportedly predicted at least 25 patient deaths by visiting the beds of those about to pass on. And there are countless stories of cats acting strangely prior to earthquakes, storms and fires. If this was some kind of sensitivity, no pet of mine has ever displayed anything like that. My cats certainly don't stay by my side when I'm sick as so many others claim of their cats.

People do horrible things to each other. A month into my new job, I go home with tears in my eyes sometimes for the things I see. I cry for a man almost killed from a hate crime. I cry for another shot to death on his birthday while crawling away from his shooter, a “friend.” I cry for a 74 year old woman punched with the butt end of a pistol by a robber trying to steal her purse.

All we can hope for is a handful (at most) of good people who take our best interest to heart. Life is sad. We’re born, we die, and in between we should love and do as much good as we can.

Roxie is still hanging in there, taking life one day at a time. She has her ups and downs right now. This past Tuesday she came down with a fever and after talking to her doctor, it sounded like she was septic which is a side effect of her chemo. We added a new medicine to clear up the infection, a fever reducer shot and I decided to add a laxative as well. The fever immediately went down and the next day Roxie finally took a poo.

Author Jon Katz has written extensively on the bond between humans and dogs.

"Dogs develop very strong, instinctive attachments to the people who feed and care for them," said Katz, speaking Wednesday from his farm in upstate New York. "Over 15,000 years of domestication, they've learned to trick us into thinking that they love us. "

YOUNGSTOWN — A Fresh Meadows, N.Y., woman has filed a civil lawsuit against a former Youngstown kennel owner who went to jail for four months on animal-cruelty charges.

Elizabeth Raab, owner of a 3-year-old male Rottweiler dog named Nitro, who died last October, is suing Steven S. Croley, 38, former owner of the High Caliber K-9 Kennel on Coitsville-Hubbard Road, and unknown defendants.

Every year, dogs die after being locked inside cars while their owners leave them to shop or run errands, often for "just a few minutes." These tragedies occur with alarming frequency, yet the animals’ deaths are completely preventable.

They say every dog has its day, but this one has had more than most: Chanel, a dachshund mix, is going to be celebrating her 21st birthday (that’s 120 in human years, according to Chanel’s veterinarian). And though she wears “doggles” for cataracts and gets cold easily, there’s life in the old dog yet. Read the full story ->

This weekend Summit County Fairgrounds will be the host of Akron-All Breed's rally and obedience trial and Ravenna Kennel Club's conformation show. Both shows will run Saturday and Sunday with the rally trial running Friday night.

Rally is a cross between agility and obedience. It is the newest sport AKC has to offer. You will find people just starting out in the world of dog showing to people who have been competing for years and are bring out their newest young dogs. Rally is great fun for dog and handler!

LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. (AP) — A mountain lion attacked and nearly killed a dog that defended its owners Tuesday on a trail in the Santa Ana Mountains.

The dog was severely mauled in the stomach area and rushed to a veterinary hospital for surgery, said Orange County sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino. The 5-year-old shepherd mix named Hoagie underwent a four-hour operation and was expected to survive, he said.

Over 86,000 pet owners visit the ER annually due to falls caused by their pets, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

We always laugh in our kitchen, because when you're pulling food out of the fridge or cupboard, you have to look behind you. Chances are a cat is at your feet, just waiting to trip you up so you'll drop some on the floor for his pleasure. Even though the joy of pet ownership more than balances out the danger, turns out the joke's on us!

SAGAMORE HILLS TWP.: The Summit County Health District will have a rabies vaccination clinic from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. May 2 at the Sagamore Hills Park Service Garage, 11550 W. Valley View Road for dogs and cats only.

Veterinarians from Petguards will provide the vaccines and shots. No appointment is necessary.

I actually have GOOD news to share in today's update on Roxie -- she is doing BETTER! What a beautiful day it can be when the one that you think you are losing is giving up a good fight. After many tears and getting ready to let go of her over the past weekend, Roxie is on the up and up and surprising us all.

American Greetings is having the biggest pet photo contest on the internet! The Furry Faceoff Challenge is the ultimate showdown between dogs and cats. The winner will receive a grand prize worth $350, including a $250 gift certificate to Petsmart!

Enter your purr babies and tail waggers today, or look through the adorable entries and vote for your favorite. Contest runs through May 24.

Before you bring your new friend home, it's best to be prepared to prevent unnecessary confusion and stress.

Establish the rules. Decide who's responsible for what: grooming, feeding, exercising, cleaning, play-time, and so on. Also establish whether or not there will be areas that are "off-limits" for your new pet. For example, you may not want your pet to sleep on the bed.

Have all the necessary supplies ready. Examples are food, food and water bowls, leash or harness, collar and identification, brush, and so on. Take a look at the cat budget or the dog budget for more information.

Thank you to everyone who has sent warm wishes to me and Roxie. I am so happy to hear that she has friends out there who are going through her journey with her and will remember her after she has left this earth.

Though dog-human interaction goes back thousands of years, communication between the two is still sometimes rough. The human half of the pair is usually the smarter party, but watching the usual training sessions one can have legitimate reason to wonder.

Dogs understand and respond at roughly the mental level of a human two-year-old, but there the similarity ends. Their senses operate differently - their color vision has a different response pattern to reds and greens, for example, and obviously their noses are infinitely more sensitive - and their minds process information differently as well. Anyone training dogs has to take this into account in order to avoid human frustration and canine misbehavior. Continue reading ->

Cats and dogs do not appear to be at risk of becoming infected with the swine flu virus.

Sharon Hietala, a professor at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System, headquartered at University of California, Davis, said that the H1N1 influenza viruses “have never been shown to transmit to dogs and cats.”

My wife and I had a discussion whereby I said that two dogs of the same breed, health status, age & fitness, but one being a dark colored coat & the other being a light colored coat, the lighter colored dog would be able to withstand more exposure to the daylight hours of summer versus the other dog being a darker colored coat. Is this true? Does the color of the coat of a dog make much difference in the dog-days of summer? Please advise a couple of dog & cat lovers!